The Influence of Acetylsalicylic Acid (Aspirin) on Gastric Mucosal Content of Energy-Rich Phosphate Bonds

Abstract

The mucosal content of adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate and adenosine monophosphate in mini-pig corpus gland area and in pyloric gland area was examined after aspirin ingestion in acute experiments and after ingestion for several weeks. Ingestion of aspirin led to a statistically significant decrease of adenine nucleotide content in corpus gland and in pyloric gland area. An inverse correlation between the pH of the aspirin suspensions and the size of the decrease was established in the short-time experiments. In non-affected pyloric gland area mucosa the adenine nucleotide content was significantly lower than in the corpus gland area. Pyloric mucosa was more susceptible to aspirin-induced lowering of adenine nucleotide content than was the corpus mucosa. Prolonged aspirin ingestion led to statistically significant reductions of the adenine nucleotide pool. The findings explain the decrease in mucous secretion and in acid secretion demonstrated in several studies. The finding of a lower and more susceptible adenine nucleotide pool in the pyloric area might be the explanation for the preponderant occurrence of aspirin ulcerations in this region.

Key Words:

• Acetylsalicylic acid
• adenine nucleotides
• gastric mucosal membrane
• gastric ulcer
• oxidative phosphorylation